How to report an unlicensed or closed cannabis store

First, check the official list

Before you report a store, check whether it appears on your province’s or territory’s official list of retailers. Health Canada links to all 13 lists from one page, and our How we verify page links to each source we use. Remember that a store’s sign may show a trade name that differs from the operator’s legal name.

Anywhere in Canada

Health Canada says that if you are concerned about, or have a complaint about, a possible illegal cannabis retailer, you should contact your local police or the nearest RCMP detachment. Use the non-emergency number for anything that isn’t urgent. To report anonymously, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Ontario

• Unlicensed stores or sellers: contact your local police service’s non-emergency line. The City of Toronto, for example, directs reports of unlicensed stores to the Toronto Police Service non-emergency line at 416-808-2222.
• Concerns about a licensed store, such as selling to minors: submit a complaint to the AGCO through its iAGCO online portal. You don’t need an account to submit one.
• A proposed new store near you: residents of the municipality can file a written objection with the AGCO during the public notice period. Anonymous objections aren’t accepted.

British Columbia

B.C.’s Community Safety Unit (CSU) enforces the Cannabis Control and Licensing Act against illegal cannabis sellers, including online ones. You can submit a complaint about an illegal store or website through the CSU’s online complaint portal, or contact the CSU at CSU@gov.bc.ca, 604-502-5493 (Lower Mainland) or 1-855-502-5494 (toll free). The province says you can choose to stay anonymous, and that the CSU can’t share the progress or outcome of an investigation.

Alberta

AGLC asks people who suspect illegal cannabis production, packaging or trafficking to contact its Cannabis Enforcement Unit at 1-800-577-2522, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) to stay anonymous.

What to include in a report

Whichever agency you contact, a clear report is easier to act on. Useful details include:

• the store’s name as shown on its sign, and its full street address;
• for a website or social media seller, the full web address or account name;
• the date and time of what you saw, and what happened;
• whether you checked the official list, and what it showed.

Only report what you saw yourself, and don’t put yourself at risk to gather evidence.

Other provinces and territories

For an unlicensed seller, follow Health Canada’s advice and contact local police or the RCMP. For a concern about a licensed or government-run store, contact the regulator or government retailer that publishes your region’s list. Your province or territory page links to its official source.

Telling us about a closed store or a wrong listing

If one of our listings is wrong (a store has closed or moved, or the details don’t match the official list), email us at hello@wherestheweedat.ca with the store page link. We’ll check it against the official source and correct or remove the listing. Removed listings stop appearing in search and on our maps.

We can’t investigate or enforce anything, and we don’t pass reports on to authorities for you. If you think a store is breaking the law, please use the official channels above as well.

Store owners can update or remove their own listing from the owner dashboard after they claim it.

In our directory

• How we verify listings
• Contact us

Sources

Facts in this post were taken from these official sources, checked October 26, 2026.

1. Health Canada: Authorized cannabis retailers in the provinces and territories
2. City of Toronto: Cannabis (reporting an unlicensed cannabis store)
3. AGCO: Questions, complaints and objections
4. AGCO: Object to a proposed cannabis store application
5. Government of B.C.: Identify or report illegal cannabis sales or production
6. Government of B.C.: Community Safety Unit, contact us
7. AGLC: Contraband tobacco and illegal cannabis

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